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theyareweird · 2 years

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Why ParaNorman Is Rated PG

This stop-motion animated film is usually categorized under the family fantasy genre. However, if guardians don’t look at the movie’s ratting, they’ll miss how it’s a dark fantasy flick as a horror comedy. In fact, ParaNorman is rated PG by the MPAA. Due to this, ParaNorman will be explored as to why it’s properly rated PG. Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers to the movie.

Scary Images

Immediately after the opening credits, an in-universe scary movie titled, “Sex and Violence”, is presented. An actress is running for her life while trying to avoid being eaten by a zombie. The creepy creature’s brains are completely exposed as he tries to eat the girl on screen. In addition, the women eventually steps on a brain, which squishes as she runs around in fear. This scene foreshadows the creepy imagery throughout the film after the thirty minute mark.

The Theme of Death

Right from the start, the plot as a whole involves various aspects of death. The main character, Norman, is an eleven year old boy who’s being haunted by his late grandmother after she recently passed away. Norman is aware of this because he inherited the supernatural ability to communicate with ghosts. He consistently sees several animals and people in the various ways they all met their fates.

Hate Speech

Norman’s hometown was founded on dark history. Aside from this, Norman is frequently bullied at school. In one example, students write “freak” across his locker. However, he’s not the only person picked on for things beyond their control. In a later scene, Neil proceeds to mention a long list of reasons he’s bullied, which include having an unfortunate health condition known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Beyond school, all the characters Norman meets always have something mean to say about him. Due to this, it’s clear the entire town is a dystopian society filled with judgmental people who discriminate anyone different from them in any way, shape, or form.

Dysfunctional Family

Perry, Norman’s father, consistently stereotypes his son. Throughout the film, Perry is often rudely talking about Norman and the “weird” things he does to his wife. He does this in front of his child, and or, in ear-shot of him regardless of how it makes Norman feel. When the family comes home from a school play, Perry says Norman was being “a mental-case” in front of everyone. Norman then says he didn’t ask to be born this way; however, Perry replies, “Funny, neither did we”. In the end, Sandra doesn’t defend her son and lets the verbal abuse mentally effect him overtime.

Adult Humor

After thirty minuets of the film’s runtime, the mature dirty jokes set in. In one scene, Neil is shown freeze-framing his mom’s aerobics DVD. On their living room TV is a still image of a Lycra-clad instructor bending over. Apparently, the elementary age kid does this often. Afterwards, there’s constant heavy “tension” expressed from Norman’s older sister, Courtney, towards Neil’s older brother, Mitch.

Rude Language

In addition to hate speech, Norman’s grandmother calls her son, Perry, a cussword in response to hearing her grandson isn’t allowed to talk to her anymore. Due to this scene, it’s practically pointless for Norman to tease the “f” word in question when Mr. Prenderghast’s ghost demands he “swear” to carry on his yearly task before he proceeds into the afterlife.

Thematic Elements

Once all the zombies come to life, there are numerous scenes where background and side characters criminally act out. Some deface public property while others commit burglary. However, the greatest act involved the use of guns. Civilians point guns and fire at the kids or the undead in the movie. Meanwhile, a cop also waves her gun around as if people aren’t present.

Violence

As previously stated, this movie contains frequent scenes of gruesome images. One long scene features Norman struggling against his uncle’s recently diseased corpse. Yet, the zombies are the center focus. The creatures are often shown with dismembered body parts and other details allover their designed bodies. Zombies are hit by cars and subjected to other violence.

What do you think? Do you agree how this movie is appropriately rated only for older kids to view. If not, why? Please share with me!

#article #paranorman #horror movie

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anthropwashere · 4 years

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deadfic: everything you love will break

Further deadfic for the @goodintentionswipfest! I am at all times to this day 2% obsessed with ParaNorman, and I’m still very fond of the psychopomp! and witch! AUs that were floating around way back when. Alas, this little deadfic didn’t even really scratch the surface of either, but I still like the 1.2k I did finish.

Title comes from Tom McRae’s “For the Restless.”

Norman Babcock sits on his unmade bed, carefully drawing lines across three names written in a ragged little journal. His hands have new scabs, raw and red, and a black bruise has blossomed on his face. He looks a bit like he’s been hit by a truck, which isn’t too far off the mark. Still, he’s worn-out in that satisfying, all-over soreness kind of way that means a job that needed doing has been done well.

Clicking his pen he tells the empty room, “I’ll be eighteen tomorrow.”

The empty room replies, “Are you sure you want to do this, Norman?”

“Yeah. I’m helping people.” He breathes out a little sigh of laughter. “Besides, I’m no good at regular stuff. College would just be a waste of money.”

“Your father seems to think this will be an even bigger waste.”

“I know. But he still said I could go.”

“One of the few times he’s ever been sensible. Come here, Norman.”

He scoots to the edge of his bed, drops his skinny legs off the side, and holds out his arms to hug the empty air. “I love you, Grandma,” he says.

“I love you too.”

Agatha Prenderghast was the first poltergeist Norman ever met, and the first ghost he ever helped cross over. Well, the second if you counted his mad uncle, but that man had been so eager to drop his problems into somebody else’s lap with nary an explanation, Norman can’t count him. Not really. There was still a notation in his little book of Ghosts I’ve Met for him though. A ghost was a ghost was a friend, after all.

Writing down the names, and later the lives, of each ghost Norman got to know had been Courtney’s idea. Drawing them had been Neil’s.

“I never know what you’re talking about, Norman,” she’d said, fed up with asking who and where and how. “Can’t you, I dunno, make a list of all these people I can reference?”

“You should draw them,” Neil had said after he’d gotten fed up trying to describe every ghost in exacting detail. When he protested, saying he couldn’t draw to save his life, Neil had replied with that quiet spark of depth that still surprised him now and then, “You can learn though. And I bet they’d appreciate it. I bet a lot of them would appreciate having a way for other people to remember them after they’ve gone.”

Norman had never thought of them like that before, of the idea that the ghosts he’d grown up with might want to leave. Move on. Cross over. Go wherever ghosts go when they stop being ghosts. They’d always been here, as solid to him as trees and streets and buildings. That they could leave had never occurred to his eleven year old mind.

“Grandma, did you want to stay here?” He asked her one snowy winter day, not long after Aggie’s storm.

She had smiled, warm yet curiously bittersweet, like remembering something wonderful she’d done once a long time ago, and only once. “I stayed to keep an eye on you,” she’d replied, and that had been answer enough.

Next semester Norman signed up for an art class, and to his father’s ire, convinced his mother to pay for bonus classes three times a week at a little gallery downtown. He finds all the ghosts who ever dabbled at sketching when they had been alive and spends hours under their tutelage too. Barely twelve, and an idea—an absurd, crazy, one hundred percent Prenderghast idea—had begun to form.

Norman found every ghost in Blithe Hollow. He asked their names. He wrote down their stories. He drew their faces, the way they looked as ghosts and the way they said they’d looked when they’d been alive. And then he asked then why they were still here.

For some, like his Grandma, they stayed for their loved ones. Others, like Mickey O’Grady with the cement shoes and entourage of fish, died violently. There weren’t many of those in a little town like this, thankfully. Well, if you didn’t count the roadkill. Norman didn’t, as even Neil’s dog had faded away, and he had loved Neil as unconditionally and completely as only dogs could. Other ghosts were pragmatic. Unfinished business, one last act of humanity they couldn’t bear to miss out on, even if they had to wait a hundred years.

Some ghosts were simply afraid of what might come next. Those were the hardest.

Norman learned quickly, when he wasn’t afraid. He was meticulous, observant, careful. Most importantly, he was earnest. Once he began to grasp the enormity of what each ghost had resigned themselves to, even if he had no way of really knowing what might come after, he wanted to help them more than anything. He remembered the weary relief on his uncle’s and Aggie’s faces when they had faded. Like they were finally letting go of something terrible. Like they were going home. He thought of all the ghosts stuck on street corners and empty rooms just in Blithe Hollow and felt dizzy, overwhelmed. Just one little town had so many ghosts. What about the county, the state, the country, the world? The weight of the task he’d set for himself was too much to bear, and he’d only just started. It might have been beyond him, if not for what Aggie had done to him.

The scar on his chest (and the smaller one on the heel of his foot) was ugly and tender for weeks after the storm. It only seemed to begin healing after the rest of his bruises and scratches had faded. The doctor said he’d most likely have the burns for the rest of his life. He hadn’t minded, was just happy when they healed up enough he didn’t have to smear smelly white cream and bandages anymore.

It was only when he tried his first—intentional—exorcism that he realized the extent of the mark Aggie had left on him.

Mr. Lee had been a kind ghost, settled in a closed-down theater in the oldest part of town. Close for renovations, it had seemed the ideal location for a test-run. Isolated, but not remote, and Mr. Lee was like everybody’s favorite uncle—discounting crazy hobo uncles, at least.

Mr. Lee had worked in the theater long before Norman was born, fell from the rafters and broke his neck on the hard plastic audience chairs. His throat was a mottled dark green, swollen and arched at a stomach-swooping angle. He was a nice ghost, a nice person, but for all his smiling and for all the hours Norman had chatted with him, he never stopped looking afraid.

Norman sat up on the stage lip, legs dangling, and pulled out his supplies. Sketchbook, colored pencils, pastels, journal, pen. Mr. Lee floated gently down to the stage, bleached transparent by the stage lights. “Ah, Norman,” Mr. Lee beamed, “Good to see you again. Are you doing homework?”

“No, Mister Lee. I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask some personal questions.” He holds up his sketchbook. “But, yeah, I’ve got homework too. I need to draw a bust from three angles. Would it be okay if I drew you?”

“Of course, of course! I haven’t had a good conversation since your uncle was still alive!”

It had gone well, carefully recreating his green smoke face as Mr. Lee recounted his life.

#paranorman #my writing #deadfic

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grimm-rific · 4 years

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A Short Paranorman Fic requested by @milliardpeacecraft !

“Hey Norman, wanna come over this weekend?”

“Hi Norman! I drew this picture of you!”

“Norman, can you tell me what ghosts look like? I’m really curious!”

Ever since Norman Babcock had rescued the town of Blithe Hollow from zombies a week ago, it seemed like everybody at school wanted to be his friend. He wasn’t exactly complaining, because it was certainly better than being seen as a loser, but he still couldn’t help but be as awkward as he was before. As he walked through the halls, waving shyly to everyone and attempting to answer all of their questions, one girl came up to him.

“Norman, did you hear about Matt? I heard you had a history class with him.”

Norman looked at her wearily. “Hear what about Matt?”

“He died. Freak accident,” she said glumly, holding up her phone. “I just heard on social media. Thought you should know.”

She walked away, leaving Norman feeling somber and wistful. He didn’t know Matt that well, except for his name, what he looked like, and the fact that he was a bit of a prankster. And even though he knew that life didn’t end after death, he couldn’t help but feel sad when he heard the news of someone’s passing. The rest of the school seemed to share this sentiment, as the rest of the day felt slow and quiet compared to other days. It felt like everyone was mourning, even if they didn’t know the kid.

He explained these feelings to Neil that day at lunch. They sat at a table with lots of other people, now that Norman was so popular, but he always reserved a spot for Neil right next to him. And next to that, a spot for Alvin.

“It’s just... weird,” sighed Norman. “When someone young dies. It’s more unexpected that way, you know?”

Neil nodded and patted Norman on the back. “It’s alright, you’ll get to see him sooner or later. And then maybe you’ll get to make him feel better.”

“I used to prank people with that guy,” said Alvin, “he was pretty good at sneaking around. I guess I should pour one out in his memory.”

Alvin then poured out a can of orange soda directly onto the floor. He drank the remaining soda, let out a loud burp, and then stood up. “I’m going to the salad bar to get some croutons.”

Norman and Neil stared at him as he walked away. Neil then turned to Norman and said, “Did you know he and Mitch have started hanging out?”

Norman nodded. “Courtney says their friendship is probably because of their ‘mutual dimwitted-ness’. Personally, I think it’s a match made in heaven.”

Neil snorted, and an eruption of laughter came from the people behind them.

“Jeez, it wasn’t that funny,” Norman said, turning around, only to find that the reason everybody was laughing was because Alvin had been pantsed while getting croutons. His underwear was bright pink, and he was looking down at himself with shock. Norman was caught off guard by this sudden change in tone.

“How could someone be pantsing people on a day like this?” said Neil, voicing what Norman was thinking.

“I... don’t know,” said Norman as Alvin stomped back to their table.

“Unbelievable,” grumbled Alvin. “I save the town with my best friend and this is how I’m treated.”

Later that day, in PE, it seemed like Alvin’s pantsing was all anybody could talk about. Norman assumed it was to get their minds off of their schoolmate’s recent passing.

“That’s it,” Alvin panted angrily after they finished running laps. “I’m buying a belt.”

“People will forget about it in a day,” Norman assured him. “If there’s one thing I learned from my years of being an outcast, it’s that middle schoolers have very short attention spans.”

Just then, they heard a “Wha- hey!” from the water fountain. They turned around and Neil had been pantsed as well. People laughed, but not as much as they had the first time. Norman instinctively looked at the kid behind Neil in line. Surely, he was the culprit. Then the kid turned around, and Norman saw that he had his arm in a sling, and looked just as bewildered as the rest of them.

“It doesn’t make any sense..,” said Norman under his breath. “Why are they only going after my friends?”

“They’re probably looking for cred by pantsing the most popular people in school,” shrugged Alvin. “Trust me. I know how a prankster’s brain works.”

Then it dawned on Norman. Prankster. Of course!

“If you and Neil have already been pantsed... that means I’m next,” said Norman gladly. Alvin eyed him suspiciously.

“Why are you so happy about it?”

“You’ll see,” said Norman.

The last period of the day. History. While Alvin and Neil kept anxiously looking over their shoulders, paranoid that a second round of pantsing would ensue, Norman felt calm. He knew who this prankster was. He was sure of it.

The teacher excused them, allowing them to start packing their bags for the end of the day. Sure enough, right before the bell rang, Norman felt a presence behind him, and as the signal for the end of the school day rang out, his pants came down. Norman whipped around to find just who he thought he would find-- the ghost of his former classmate, Matt. And as soon as Norman looked at him, he panicked and flew down the hall.

“Wait! Come back!” called out Norman as he pulled his pants up and ran after the ghost.

“Oh my god,” said Neil, who had been watching. “Alvin, it’s Matt! The pantser is Matt!”

Alvin looked at Neil blankly for a few seconds, and then it all seemed to dawn on him. “Ohhhh. Doy.”

Norman followed the ghost into the boys’ bathroom. “It’s okay, Matt! I just wanna talk to you!”

Matt turned around, panicked. “Leave me alone! I don’t wanna be a ghost!”

Norman watched as Matt sunk to the ground, defeated.

“I just... wanted to keep living life as normal. Going to school, pulling pranks..,” said Matt.

“That’s not exactly something you can do when you’re dead,” said Norman apologetically.

“So... what then? What do I do now?”

Norman thought for a moment. “Have you met the other ghosts yet?”

“Nah, I’ve been hiding from ‘em,” Matt sniffed. “I’ve been too scared.”

“Well,” Norman said slyly. “There are plenty of ghosts who are in need of a good pranking, but since you don’t want to, I guess I’ll be on my way...”

“Wait! Like who?”

Norman smiled. He then set his things down and began talking to Matt about all the ghosts in town. He talked about his grandma, about Mr. Prenderghast, and all the other living dead people he could think of. By the end of his tangent, Matt seemed to be feeling a little better.

“Do you think you can approach them now?” asked Norman finally.

“I can do more than just that,” said Matt, puffing up his chest with pride. “Thanks, Norman.” He then flew out the window, leaving Norman alone to pick up his things. Matt was just confused-- everyone is when they first become a ghost --but Norman knew he would adjust to it eventually. And there was no reason he couldn’t have some fun along the way.

Norman left the bathroom to find Neil and Alvin outside waiting for him.

“What happened?” asked Neil.

Norman shrugged. “He was just doing what he knew best. But I explained some things to him, and now... I think you guys are safe.”

The two boys let out a sigh of relief.

“Now, if you guys will excuse me, I gotta go home,” said Norman. “I gotta warn my grandma there’s an excellent prankster on the loose.”

hope that was good! it’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie so let me know if I got anything wrong haha :)

#paranorman #oneshot #request

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #145 - ParaNorman

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #176.

Format: Blu-ray

1) It is with this film that Laika proves they were more than just a one hit wonder, that they could make a great film more than just once with Coraline. I’m glad they did, because now we’ve got four great films from the studio.

2) Whereas Coraline was Stephen King-esque in being atmospheric and creepy (almost German Expressionist), ParaNorman establishes that this is a different kind of macabre film. More the fun horror that marked the zombie movies of the 70s than the atmospheric haunts of Coraline. That is not to knock the film or even say it is better than Coraline, but instead to observe that they are different. This is mostly clearly established by the film within the film which opens ParaNorman, definitely made in the style of those old crummy 70s horror films.

3) Norman.

Just like with Coraline, Laika is able to craft a child protagonist who is - above all else - an honest representation of what is’ like to be an eleven year old kid. Norman doesn’t make any effort to hide the fact that he sees dead people and he faces ridicule for that everyday. Except he’s eleven! Eleven year olds are taught to not lie to adults, so why would Norman lie?

But more than that, Norman is a great representation of the “weird” kid. The kid who likes horror and old monster movies, the kid who exists EVERYWHERE in the world but doesn’t often see themselves represented in media (something which feeds their status as “weird”). Like most of these kids, Norman is largely kind but tries to keep to himself. It’s easier that way. Less people to make him feel like a freak. He knows how hard it is that no one listens to him, which makes his superpower being able to communicate to those who are often not heard (aka: dead people). But more on that later.

Norman is just a wonderful character and Kodi Smit-Mcphee does an excellent job as Norman’s voice actor. Like the writing, he is able to portray Norman honestly. No Breakfast Club-y “oh woe is me” stuff, just a quiet frustration from not being listened, from being written off as a freak time and time again. Smit-Mcphee is great in the part and I think Norman is better off by having the actor’s voice.

4) Norman’s family life is INCREDIBLY frustrating to me, but that’s the entire point. Both his dad and his sister are kinda jerks just because Norman’s weird. What’s so wrong with being a little weird? As long as you’re not hurting people. But again, it is a source of great conflict for the film.

5) Norman’s walk through town is uniquely imaginative, showing these ghosts not in a frightening but instead a fun and unique way. They each have their own character we understand in just a few seconds after meeting them. A great way to introduce us to his world.

6) Alvin just makes me…sad.

The total loser asshole who thinks he’s hot shit when really he’s just a moronic bully with an inflated ego of himself. The very existence of bullies like this makes me feel sad about their existence. (I don’t like bullies, can you tell?). Also how much of a tough guy are you if you’re named Alvin? Not to diss anyone with the name Alvin, but it’s not your typical bully name. That may just be the point though, as Christopher Mintz-Plasse (best known as McLovin in Superbad) is not your typically bully voice. In most of his early films, he was the character getting bullied.

7) I always appreciate creative ways of introducing necessary backstory to a film. This movie using the crummy school play to explain the Blithe Hollow witch and her curse is a nice, seamless, and entertaining way of letting us know information which is going to become VERY relevant later on.

8) Ah, Neil.

(GIF originally posted by @kpfun)

Neil is great. Another honest representation of a kid. In this case a kid who isn’t really bothered but the jerks. He knows who he is, he’s fine with who he is, and he’s not going to let anyone feel bad about it. He’s also IMMEDIATELY nice to Norman and throughout the film he is consistently loyal to him, always listening to what his friend is saying. He also just accepts the fact that Norman can see ghosts, without question and without judgment. I really like Neil. I think we all need to be a bit more like Neil.

9) Uncle Prenderghast.

John Goodman has a brief but memorable role as Norman’s Uncle Prenderghast, who can also see ghosts. HE is able to play Prenderghast’s sense of crazy quite well, coming off as wonderfully unkempt AND giving us our best earliest flavor for the film’s sense of humor.

[Uncle Prenderghast dies, his spirit starts to leave his body, then the spirit comes back to his body and he sits up.]

Uncle Prenderghast [laughing with glee]: “No! Not yet! Not ye-”

[Uncle Prederghast dies and becomes a ghost.]

Uncle Prenderghast: “Oh nuts.”

10) THIS. FREAKING. SCENE.

Norman [after causing a scene at the school]: “I didn’t ask to be born this way.”

Perry [Norman’s Dad]: “Funny. Neither did we.”

Sandra [Norman’s Mom, to Norman]: “You know, sometimes people say things that seem mean but they do it because they’re afraid.”

Norman: “He’s my dad. He’s not supposed to be afraid of me.”

Sandra: “He’s not afraid of you. He’s afraid FOR you.”

I have so many emotions here. After Perry’s snide comment I’m truly angry, but then when Norman makes the observation about fear I get sad and then after Sandra’s line about why Perry is afraid I stay sad but like a different kind of sad if that makes sense. It’s just, I love everything about that exchange.

11) I will say, this film I think is funnier than Coraline.

Uncle Prenderghast’s Ghost [asking Norman to keep the witch’s curse at bay]: “SWEAR!”

Norman [after hesitation]: “You mean…like the f-word?”

12) This film gives us two great meta jokes back to back.

[Norman’s phone rings and it’s the Halloween theme]

Text Message: “Come to the window.”

[Norman goes to the window and jumps at what he sees.]

Neil: “You wanna play some hockey?”

It knows the genre it’s playing in and does it wonderfully.

13) This line sort of breaks my heart.

Norman [after telling Neil about the witch’s curse]: “Go home Neil. I’m better off on my own anyway.”

Norman is used to people not listening to him and holding him back because of it. He really doesn’t feel like he has anyone to count on, so he’s not used to Neil’s support and instinctively sends him away. That’s a really lonely life.

14) There are certain quotes in films we should all try to live our lives by. This is one of them:

Grandma: “There’s nothing wrong with being scared, Norman. So long as you don’t let it change who you are.”

The brief moments we see between Norman and his grandma provide a nice, interesting relationship. I sort of wish there were more of them but I also appreciate how the film flows as is, so I’m glad we got the peek we did.

15) This film does a good job at being scary when it wants to be. The scene when Norman is snooping around his dead uncle’s home looking for the book he was told about actually had me jumping a little bit. I love that.

16) I just want to take a minute to appreciate how this scene is visually.

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The horror fantasy of this world just erupted in a no-holds-bar way and that is made very clear to us as the audience in an effective way.

17) I love Anna Kendrick in anything, even if it’s just her voice.

Norman’s sister Courtney is a wonderful kind of awful. She’s the bratty older sister who doesn’t really care about her brother at the start, he’s just an embarrassment. But as the film goes on you can see that the two are siblings and that they will stand by each other. But while Courtney is being more antagonistic we are given some strong comedy and character and Kendrick’s voice just works wonderfully in the part.

18) Neil’s brother, Mitch.

Mitch is a really fun character. He’s sort of your atypical dumb jock type but we get to see more of that. We get to see how he’s not the worst older brother, how he’s less of an outright jerk to Norman and more just an insensitive dunce, and he has some of the best comedy moments in the film. Mitch’s voice actor, Casey Affleck (who I will only be discussing in the context of this film, not the controversy which surrounds him because this really isn’t the best place for me to talk about that) uses his wispier voice to add a juxtaposition between Mitch’s body and his mind, being able to convey his warmth/humor/thickness in a unique and entertaining way.

19) Once the entire ensemble comes together, there is some wonderful comedy.

Alvin [after the zombies trap him and Norman]: “Are they going to eat our brains?”

Norman: “I think you’ll be safe.”

Just a heads up: out of the next seven notes, about six of them deal with how strong the comedy in this film is. You have been warned.

20) The zombies trapping Norman and Alvin in dead Uncle Prenderghast’s house actually creates some nice scary moments, while still keeping the humor and heart this film has established so far. Working well in the genre it has established to create tension and stakes while also providing us with some good laughs.

21) There is some really strong slapstick comedy with the zombies in this film, let me just say.

(GIFs originally posted by @the-light-of-animation)

22) I told you the next few notes are me going to be commenting on how strong the comedy in this film is.

Courtney [to/about Norman]: “I just knew something like this was gonna happen tonight?”

Mitch [sincerely]: “You did? Wow! Because that zombie bit really threw me.”

23) This is quite possibly my favorite joke in the whole film.

Neil [to Mitch]: “You’re the oldest.”

Mitch: “Not mentally!”

24) Okay, I swear the next note after this will be more than just a comment on how funny something in this film is. But come on, the vending machine scene…

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25) The message of this film ends up being incredibly surprising and compelling. The fact that the zombies are NOT the monsters in this situation, but the people just start attacking the zombies because they’re different. That the people are the ones who’s arms break through the walls of city hall like it’s Night of the Living Dead. That the living human beings who act based on fear and bias are more dangerous than the living dead. I think that’s a really strong message that the film works quite well with, elevating it above just your standard genre film.

26) Okay, this is the last note on a joke for a while I swear. But, come on…

(GIFs originally posted by @the-light-of-animation)

27) This is one of a few scenes which breaks my heart:

Courtney: “I’m scared Norman and I can’t listen to this anymore.”

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

The most frustrating part of the existence of the average kid is that no one listens to them. That they are written off or talked down to even when they’re right and/or dealing with some massive situation. “They’re just a kid,” is a common phrase to diminish the actions or feelings of a child. And that SUCKS. It sucks being consistently not being heard, being consistently written off. The reason so many kids feel like no one understands them is because so few people TRY to understand kids. We forget how hard it was being a kid because why would we want to remember that pain? That frustration? Being an adult is hard enough, it’s easier to think that being a kid was easy. But it’s not. And kids everywhere constantly wonder what they’re doing wrong that their life isn’t as easy as how adults remember being a child is. And it just sucks.

28) Honestly, this is the scariest part of the movie for me:

(GIF originally posted by @maggins)

The big bad witch, the one the entire town’s tourist industry is based on, the one who’s death has become pop culture for them inspiring casinos and school plays celebrating her death, that witch…was a seven year old girl who was executed because she was different. Because adults were afraid of her and acted badly out of it. And the scariest thing is: it’s not that far from the truth. Look at Salem. Look at somethings today. People hurting innocents just because they don’t understand them. Just because they’re different. History is marked by putting people - including children - to death because they were misunderstood. The scariest part, the most heartbreaking part, about the reveal that the witch is a seven year old girl is that it’s the least fictional part of this movie.

29) For how much of an awful sister Courtney can be in the first half of the film, remember this: she stands with Norman fist. It’s her brother standing in front of an angry mob defending a bunch of zombies and she doesn’t even really hesitate (only enough to process what’s going on) before she stands with her brother and shouts the adults down before anyone else. Before Neil, before Mitch, before Alvin. Courtney is there for her little brother. And because of her everyone else follows suit.

(GIFs originally posted by @the-light-of-animation)

And then she encourages Norman! She helps him! Albeit with a very Courtney speech, but still she supports him!

Courtney: “I have cheered the uncheerable Norman. I’m not letting you give up now.”

30) Okay, so I’m not done commenting on how funny some of the jokes are in this film.

[Norman, Courtney, and the zombie are in the backseat of their parents car]

Courtney: "Ugh, Norman! He’s on my side of the seat.”

Norman: “She wants you to move over.”

[Zombie groans at Courtney.]

Courtney: “Um, I heard that! Mom, stop the zombie to stop saying stuff about me!”

Norman: “Will you quite using the z-word?”

Courtney [mocking]: “Will you quite using the z-word?”

Perry: “So help me I will stop this car right now if all three of you don’t quite it this instant!”

31) Okay, the entire Norman/Agatha climactic scene.

(GIF originally posted by @ikejamese)

This line of, “I don’t want to go to sleep and you can’t make me,” as a whisper in Norman’s ear in nothing but silence is a great way of establishing how straight up scary Agatha can be.

I love this electric design of Agatha.

Agatha has always been stopped in the past by someone reading a bedtime story to here, and Norman KNOWS this isn’t changing anything it’s just delaying it. So he uses the format of a bedtime story “Once upon a time…” to relate to Agatha and what she’s been going through in a way which frightens her. Because that’s something she’s buried away. She doesn’t want to be afraid, she wants other people to fear her. And it really shows how Norman’s superpower is communicating because he is able to do what no one else has: he is able to actually talk to Agatha.

The visuals for this scene are just incredible. Not only with Agatha, but with the void and the fighting and…gah! It’s delightful eye candy.

And then when Agatha goes back to being Agatha, this scare little girl who was hurt worse than any seven year old ever should, my heart breaks.

(GIF originally posted by @laikaworld)

And in the continuing trend of this scene breaking my heart:

Aggie: “I just want my mommy.”

(GIF originally posted by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer)

32) I think it’s really powerful that, once the curse is lifted and the zombies just go back to being ghosts, they don’t smile. They’re not at peace. They still have to exist with that guilt and the fact they murdered an innocent girl because she was different than them. They don’t deserve a smile. I love that.

33) THIS! FREAKING! SCENE!!!!!!

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

I believe Mitch is the first openly gay character in a mainstream animated film. In an interview with EUR Web, co-director Chris Bulter said:

It was part of the tolerance thing. It seemed important that we be brave about it. If we’re saying to anyone that watches this movie don’t judge other people, then we’ve got to have the strength of our convictions.

I love that.

34) With this film, Laika starts a tradition of including a fun “behind the scenes” post-credits clip showing how they make some of their film. It shows just how much they care about their work and I love that we got similar bits in The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings. It’s basically the featurette below, just watch from nine seconds to a minute and nine seconds.

youtube

ParaNorman is a great film. It has an incredibly strong message of tolerance and making sure you don’t let your fear change you, the animation is exquisite, there is just so much humor and heart, there are some truly wonderfully frightening moments, the voice acting is incredible, and it is just an amazing ride through and through. Go see it if you haven’t watched it yet. Seriously.

#ParaNorman #Source: Paranorman #Laika #Kodi Smit McPhee #Anna Kendrick #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Casey Affleck #Christopher Mintz Plasse #John Goodman

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